Nehemiah not only must face opposition from without; now he has to face opposition from within the Jewish community (5:1–19). Christian leaders today find the same to be true, and it tests a leader’s character even more than opposition from without. In this case the nobles and officials, the powerful and the well-off in the community, are treating unjustly the underprivileged, the needy, and the poor.

This exploitation or oppression by one’s fellow human beings is one of the most detrimental evils in any society. It is one of the major themes of the prophets, who denounced Israelite society for condoning the injustice in their midst. According to the prophets, exploitation was one of the major causes for the exile (Isa. 1:15–17; 58:6; Jer. 7:5–7; 21:12–14; Amos 2:6–8; 5:11–12; Mic. 2:2).…